Upfall

Feldhandler hung around while the rest of the sayeret did their walk-through of the capsule, the officers and men studiously avoiding him. After they finished and went off to rest or eat, Feldhandler grabbed one of the internal telephone lines near the capsule bay. He called for Mina to join him. She arrived a few minutes later and entered the capsule while Feldhandler waited outside. Mina worked at the computer terminals for about an hour, reconfiguring the software, while he sat in the capsule doorway playing with his Blackberry. That was enough to keep unwanted visitors away. Finally she completed her task.

"I shouldn't have an appetite after this" said Mina "but I do. You should eat too."

"I have to talk to Brom" Feldhandler said tiredly.

"So let's go to the canteen" said Mina. "He might be there about now anyway."

Feldhandler grimaced and shrugged, then followed her towards the little cafeteria. He noticed immediately that Perchansky was not there, nor was Yatom. Several of Yatom's enlisted men were spread across two tables, greedily wolfing down a mess of burgers, falafels and Israeli salad. They appeared to be in high spirits. Feldhandler marveled at them. He was a knot of anxiety. Seeming to match his mood was Brom, who sat alone, dyspeptically nibbling an unappetizing piece of overcooked chicken. The general looked up at them and waived them over. He pushed a plastic seat across the table out with his boot for Feldhandler and swung the seat next to him out with his arm for Mina.

"Have you heard from Jerusalem?" asked Feldhandler without saying hello.

"Benny, let me get some food and then we can talk" said Mina still standing by the table. "What would you like?"

"Whatever you order is fine." Mina shrugged and walked to the serving area.

"So, now tell me..."

Brom wiped chicken grease from his chin then motioned toward Mina as she walked away.

"We'll update her in a minute" said Feldhandler.

"You won't like it." Brom was used to delivering bad news and good at it—quick and to the point. "They are going to shut the reactor down."

Feldhandler's expression changed from his usual impassivity to incredulousness. Then he laughed.

"It's no joke."

"Yes it is" Feldhander practically shouted. Several ofYatom's men looked over at the table, as did Mina from the serving line. She threw down a few shekels at the cashier's station and hurried across the room.

"The reactor can't just be shut off like a light" said Feldhandler like he was talking to a child. "It can't be shut down at all, in a conventional sense, any more than you can shut down the sun." Mina arrived and set down a tray of soups and salads too quickly. The soup spilled over creating a mess. She ignored it and sat down.

"It can be shut down" Brom said calmly "as you know better than anybody, when the fuel supply is exhausted. According to Dr. Perchansky that will be the day after tomorrow—unless the machine is refueled—and it won't be unless we get some specific authorization from the government."

Feldhandler and Mina exchanged crushing glances. The iron siblings had been hit hard Brom thought, noting the hint of a tear in Mina's eyes.

"It's still ridiculous" protested Feldhandler. "Why do the politicians fear the Americans? We could send Yatom's sarayet into the White House if we had the balls—how would the President like that?"

Brom ignored him.

"There is a tiny silver lining, however." said Brom. "Slingshot is a go, provided we get some actionable intelligence in the next day or two."

"That's just a sop—they know the chances of that are next to nothing."

"Arbel had to fight for that" said Brom earnestly. "It's not meaningless. If the intel comes in it's a go."

"I don't believe it" said Mina, turning her head from Brom.

"Benny's right."

Brom shrugged his shoulders resignedly, and walked off.

"Well, that's that" said Feldhandler. "It's now or never."

Mina just sighed and nodded her head.

"Tomorrow morning then" said Feldhandler.

Chapter 8

Early the next morning the sayeret assembled fully equipped for another drill, loading in and out of the capsule. Climbing in and out of the capsule was boring but seconds would be critical if the capsule happened to land at the wrong place or at the wrong time. Movements had to be automatic.

The three commando teams boarded the capsule in reverse order of the planned exit. Shapira's team went in first. The lieutenant jogged to the capsule and ushered in Chaim, his radioman/grenadier, the marksman Bolander and Roi the machine gunner, before climbing in behind them. Mofaz repeated the process with team Bet, filing in after Itzak, Ilan, and Roskovsky the demolitions man. Finally, Alef boarded, with Ido, and the B-300 gunner Rafi going in first, followed by Yatom's radioman/grenadier, Nir and the sayeret leader himself. Yatom. the last man to board would be the first man out.